subota, 9. studenoga 2013.

This new full-length of the cult French Dark Jazz collective is the
follow up of the highly acclaimed 2011 output "Métamanoir" - the second
release for the German experimental music label Denovali. Halfway from
their debut "Parole de Navarre"'s ambient and drone driven soundscapes
and the more orchestrated "Métamanoir", this new collection of tracks is
following their quest for dreamy but mysterious places.
A hint of 50s cool jazz, a truckload of noise and melodies,
again tiny references to Twin Peaks' series soundtrack and some ghostly
and deep tone voices: the Dale Cooper Quartet pushes the genre Dark Jazz
towards other spaces. The album is further enriched by appearences of
guest musicians such as Alicia Merz (BIRDS OF PASSAGE), Zalie
Bellacicco, Ronan Mac Erlaine and Gaëlle Kerrien (YANN TIERSEN) on
vocals.
Recorded in Brest, Britanny, France, this album always
conveys an atmosphere of strangeness and beauty, the trademark of each
of the Quartet's records. Based upon the live experiences of the band
and their everlasting love for the local landscapes, "Quatorze Pièces de
Menace" is as striking, deep, fascinating and beautiful as a storm in
the middle of the Atlantic - denovali.com/dalecooper/

With Quatorze Pièces De Menace, which is out this week on Denovali Records, the cult French dark jazz collective follows up of their highly acclaimed album Métamonoir
(2011). Again this album is following their quest for perfect dreamy
but at the same time mysterious places. Imagine cool 1950s cool jazz, a
truckload of noise and melodies, the Twin Peaks series soundtrack and
some ghostly and deep tone voices. Dark jazz in that takes you to other
spaces. Quatorze Pièces De Menace is further enriched by appearances of guest musicians like Gaelle Kerrien (YANN TIERSEN) and Alicia Merz (BIRDS OF PASSAGE) on vocals. A fact that – again – speaks for massive quality, right?

Recorded in Brest, Britanny, France, this album
always conveys an atmosphere of strangeness and beauty, the trademark of
each of DALE COOPER QUARTET & THE DICTAPHONES‘ records. Based upon the live experiences of the band and their everlasting love for the local landscapes, Quatorze Pièces de Menace is as striking, deep, fascinating and beautiful as a storm in the middle of the Atlantic.

If you are on searching for perfect soundtrack music: you really need to check out this one! - Robert Helbig

Fans of Twin Peaks will know that The Dale Cooper Quartet
got their name from the special FBI agent played by Kyle MacLachlan in
the now classic TV show. The TP references don’t stop there though, the
music on ‘Quatorze Pieces De Menace’ (spoken in my best French accent!)
is the kind of dark spooky jazz that would’ve been perfect on the
soundtrack to a secret third series.

This is seriously moody stuff, filled with warm drones and breathy
saxophone that create a real ‘50s film noir type of atmosphere, a
ghostly piano sometimes creeps in from the distance and a smooth jazz
singer croons in the corner of some seedy downtown bar. Even the soft
klang of bass guitar seems to directly reference Angelo Badalamenti’s
original Twin Peaks Score. This album has a beautiful dream-like
quality but with a real sense of darkness to it, almost as if beneath
all that beauty and tranquility lurks something far more sinister. - Norman Records

Although the title of the album says that we should expect fourteen
pieces of menace, on the actual album we can find only eleven of them.
But it doesn’t matter, because “Quatorze Pièces de Menace” is stuffed
with music almost to the limit. So in this context we can’t complain
about the new baby of Dale Cooper Quartet. Not so long ago, I wrote
about their previous release, “Metamanoir” which turned out to be this
year’s small discovery for me (although it dates back to 2011). It was
just as nice that this in-depth exploration of “Metamanoir” that had
already lasted a couple of weeks, coincided with the release of their
newest album, so that in some way I can observe the progress of the
group with a fresh eye.
After pressing the “play” button we immediately get a powerful kick
in the head with an epic, over 20-minute long suite, the sort that is
usually placed as the last track of a release. “Brosme en Dos–vert” is
so extraordinary, because it blends the elements of the genres that
probably are closest to my heart: ambient melancholy, noir–jazz anxiety,
a little bit of controlled noise and this desperate atmosphere,
reminiscent of two lovers on the edge of the abyss (literally or
figuratively, whatever), in conflict with the whole world, having
nothing to lose. Brilliant song, one of the best I’ve heard this year.
This was quite an emotional journey, so after “Brosme en Dos–vert” we
get a moment of well–deserved respite. In general the feel of this
track doesn’t notably differ from the first one, but technically they
aren’t so overwhelming. “Nourrain Quinquet” reminds me a bit of the
second track from “Metamanoir”, “Eux Exquis Acrostole”: electronic
landscapes in the background, amazing saxophone, unhurried percussions
and lazy, or maybe just tired, male vocals.
On the other hand, in “Calbombe Camoufle Fretin” female vocals appear
and – I can’t think of a more clichéd reference – we find ourselves in
Twin Peaks again, in the lousy bar where Julee Cruise murmurs her love
songs. A little surprising, vivid, somewhat more positive and almost
rock piece is “L’escolier Serpent Eolipile”. There’s a bit of Elvis, a
bit of punk, a pinch of cocaine and… it ends after two and a half
minutes. All in all I prefer when Dale Cooper is driving me into a dark
pit of depression, but it’s an interesting interlude, showing a lot of
creativity still slumbering inside this group. In “La Ventree Rat de
Cave” the gentlemen return to the ambience of the first track, though in
a less epic form. This is a sort of epilogue to the first part of the
album.
And then we have “Il Bamboche Empereurs”, sensual composition with
leading female vocals and warm quasi–violin phrases lashing gently on
the listener as a light summer breeze. “Celadon Bafre” stands at the
opposite pole, as it’s a depressing track sung in such a way as if it
was the last thing the singer does before shooting his head off.
“Ignescence Black–bass Recule” is again slightly “lynchesque”, but more
from his “Lost Highway” period than “Twin Peaks”. Mr. Eddy, who
apparently likes me for some unknown reason and Alice lustfully gazing
into my eyes. A surprising curiosity is a sample from the French horror
movie “Martyrs”, with a Polish lector. Then the very short piece, “Mange
Tanche” and the moving finale that is “Lampyre Bonne Chere” leaving the
listener with a sense of regret that this is the end of a dark,
sometimes poignant, sometimes streaked with gallows humor journey.
Have you noticed that I haven’t even once referred to the German
group whose name starts with a “B”? It’s because Dale Cooper on
“Quatorze Pièces de Menace” is something different and comparing the
French ensemble to the Bohrens would be out of place. Dale Cooper is
exploring, venturing into unknown realms. In the second part of the
album even the role of the saxophone is reduced to a minimum. Sure, they
could remain in a cosy darkjazz pigeonhole and record another similar
sounding material. I’m sure it would still have been very good. But this
is not probably the ambition of these French guys. They want to uncover
new territories, they want us to do it with them. And since they didn’t
neglect the emotional part, as a result we received a great album,
genuinely heart gripping. Oh, I won’t free myself from this Twin peaks
charm for some time, that’s for sure. - Santa Sangre

The bizarre Dark Jazz cabaret has opened again. Finally, after years of
waiting, the 2nd full length of the sophisticated experimental
collective from France will be released. It features vocals of Gaëlle
Kerrien (YANN TIERSEN) and all lovers of DAVID LYNCH movies, artists
like KILIMANJARO DARKJAZZ ENSEMBLE or BOHREN UND DER CLUB OF GORE and
blue cigarette smoke in dark bars will exult again.
Métamanoir sees the band shift from their smooth, minimal and
instrumental landscapes on the debut record Parole De Navarre to a more
lively and rich sound. Always based upon improvisation and sound
research, the solo parts of their music are now embodied by vocals.
The Quartet invited several musicians and singers to record, giving a
phantomatic sound with oboe, clarinet, whitewashed drones popping out of
the songs. The sheer chants of Zalie Bellacicco – who appeared on the
debut album - the deep tone of Ronan Mac Erlaine and the crystal-clear
voice of Gaëlle Kerrien (Yann Tiersen's singer on his last Mute album)
interlaces with the still dark jazz of the band.
Always influenced by classic 50s cool jazz and the more contemporary
noise and experimental styles, the Quartet and his guests built a dreamy
card castle who swing and grow deeply rooted in fierce strangeness of
David Lynch movies.
Métamanoir has been recorded in their native Britanny country, deep west
of France, a land swept by climatic inconstancy fed by wind, rain and
mystery. A place which gives the music an overwhelming but beautiful
darkness.
Denovali Records · den110

The more things stay the same, the more they change: As one would have
expected (and hoped), all nine rhythmically driven and electronically
enriched pieces on Metamanoir once again hark back to the fundamentals
of darkjazz. By endlessly repeating these basic building blocks as a
stoic loop, things lean towards abstraction and a dark, warm and open
sound panorama. Despite the dizzying depth of its background structures,
the Dale Cooper Quartet always provides for ample breathing space as
well, creating the impression as though the entire performance were
taking place within a sort of huge hall. Resulting from this is a marked
contrast between intimate arrangements and an expansive sound - an
impression which is even more pronounced in the live situation, as
visitors to the Quartet's gigs can readily testify.Just like the formation's debut, Metamanoir relies
heavily on a blend of subtle pads on top of a hypnotic rhythm section,
muffled experimental trumpet motives and the use of guitars less as an
accompaniment or support than an atmospheric element. And yet, this
element can also, as on the nervously rolling „Mon Tragique Chartreuse“
develop a subtly destructive power and depress a track's mood in an
almost fearful way, supported in its aim by a percussive skeleton of
parasitic noises and to-the-point field recordings constantly
oscillating between sex and fear. And yet, subsequent „La Terrible
Palais“ aptly balances these sensations and eases the tension by
counterpointing it with a distant chorale and upfront, warm and rich
vocals.The far more significant role awarded to both male vocals
constitutes a surprising and unexpected change on the Dale Cooper
Quartet's second LP. The band have managed to sail clear of both jazz-
and experimental clichés and turned the lyrics into a perfectly organic
element, which never relegates the instrumental contributions to the
status of mere interludes. Subtlety is vital here: Just like the cover,
the music relies on highly effective minimalism. - Hellmut Neidhardt
It seems uninteresting releases from Denovali Records just don't
happen. Another feather in their cap is Dale Cooper Quartet & The
Dictaphones who, like their label mates The Mount Fuji Doomjazz
Corporation and The Kilimanjaro Jazz Ensemble, are a modern,
experimental 'jazz' outfit, with a take on the genre as though they are
writing a film score. As such, it's not necessarily songs they write,
but compositions. Make no mistake, this is music as art form more than
anything else.
While modern touches are incorporated in the electric guitars,
ambient electronics and echoing keyboards, this is an album deeply
rooted in jazz music with its snaking horns, minimalistic drum patterns
and enchanting, soulful vocals. Because of the minimalist approach,
there's a staggering amount of space throughout the soundscapes. This
space envelops the vocals and instruments, making efforts such as "Eux
Exquis Acrostole", "Une Petit Cellier" and the phenomenally apocalyptic
"Mon Tragique Chartreuse" utterly harrowing experiences.
Occasionally, the vocals don't really add that much to the
compositions. The constant cries that persist throughout "Ma
Insaisissable Abri" are more of a distraction than another layer upon
the cinematic tale being told, which is a shame because the enclosed
electronic soundscape underneath is one of the more unique of the album.
It's a similar story with "Elle Agreable Rendez-Vous De Chasse"; the
music itself is fantastic, especially the juxtaposing layers of
distorted and clean guitars, but the "dum, dum, dum, dum..." chanting
seems to have no purpose, and wears old quickly.
In the grand scheme of this album's ambitious concept, however,
when you have your headphones locked in tightly and are sinking slowly
in the world of "Metamanoir", these minor complaints are only ever that:
Minor. By focusing more on the subtleties and the smaller details of
the writing and production, the Dale Cooper Quartet & The
Dictaphones have managed to create something simultaneously minimalistic
and massive. While it has its flaws, and is perhaps slightly too epic
at an hour long, nobody can deny how wonderfully constructed
"Metamanoir" is. - www.rockfreaks.net/

Parole de Navarre (2010)

"Formed for the improvisation nights Dynamo in Brest, France, this
quartet made of musicians covering a wide variety of musical styles
creates a sound that mixes electronic (samples, cuts, sound treatments)
and acoustic elements (guitars, saxophone, trumpet). They’re playing
moody ballads that sound as if they would come out from one of David
Lynch's movies. Like in the films of Hollywood’s master of bizarre
pieces, there is something like a dark and poisonous colour broken by
red thunderlights and blue cigarette smoke. The music spawnes some odd
characters and landscapes while the listener makes out some more
friendly faces that loom up out of this nowhere place: the voice of
Zalie Bellaccico, Milanese streets sounds, a lazy flute, or some
distant breathing swim on the surface of this deep troubled waters.
"Paroles de Navarre" is an invitation for opening the red curtain of
this Dark Jazz cabaret made of shimmering and whirling walls.For
pop listeners without a feeling for depressive soundscapes it might be
boring – for us it’s one of the best musical outputs we’ve discovered
in the past years. If you like BOHREN UND DER CLUB OF GORE or THE
KILIMANJARO DARKJAZZ ENSEMBLE, you should be all ears.- denovali.com/An Interview With Dale Cooper Quartet & The Dictaphones

by Twin Pie on Oct 12, 2013

French dark jazz collective Dale Cooper Quartet & The Dictaphones has just released their third album.
I’ve been a fan since their 2006 debut (“Parole De Navarra”) because,
as the quartet’s name suggests, there’s no denying the influence of
Angelo Badalamenti and David Lynch on their music. And luckily,
“Quatorze Pièces de Menace”continues their “quest for dreamy but mysterious places“. This is how their label Denovali describes the new album, which is now out in the U.S. (as MP3 or CD) and soon elsewhere:

“A hint of ’50s cool jazz, a truckload of noise and
melodies, again tiny references to the Twin Peaks series soundtrack and
some ghostly and deep tone voices: the Dale Cooper Quartet pushes the
genre Dark Jazz towards other spaces. The album is further enriched by
appearances of guest musicians such as Alicia Merz (Birds of Passage),
Zalie Bellacicco, Ronan Mac Erlaine and Gaëlle Kerrien (Yann Tiersen) on
vocals.”

The DC4tet, as Christophe Mevel, Gael Loison and Yannick Martin
abbreviate themselves, was so kind to talk to me about their sound and
their apparent and less obvious influences. May I suggest that you first
hit the play button below to listen to the album (requires Spotify) and
then continue to read the interview?

WELCOME TO TWIN PEAKS: Who is Dale Cooper Quartet
& The Dictaphones, and please tell me it all started over a cup of
damn good coffee at the local diner?DALE COOPER QUARTET & THE DICTAPHONES: The
Quartet started in 2002 as a real Quartet for an improvisation jazz
night. It was supposed to be a one-off gig with four musicians from
different bands. We wanted to make a mix of Angelo Badalamenti’s
soundtracks, especially Twin Peaks’s, and Bohren & Der Club of Gore,
a German cult band we were listening to a lot at that moment. Nowadays
there are three permanent members and various guests. Some regulars,
some only for when we’re recording.
Maybe it was at a local diner that the idea appeared? We do
not remember quite well. But coffee was involved, that’s for sure. And
it was surely late at night.WTTP: You mentioned you were all coming from different bands. What kind of genres did you play before?DC4TET: We all played in various bands, mostly electronic, instrumental, post-rock with tracks based upon loops and soundscapes.WTTP: The first track on Quatorze Pièces de Menace immediately
throws the listener into the darkness, without any warning. It’s like
you skip the introduction of the story and go straight to its darkest
part. And for the next 21 minutes, even with your eyes open, you’ll see
grim alleys, shut-down factories, haunting shadows on old brick
walls… As with all of your music, it’s like you’ve scored an imaginary
film. Can you describe your creative process a bit?DC4TET: We thought it was fun to do an
introduction-free record this time. And yes, it settles the rest of the
record and drives the listener directly into our music. This track fits
perfectly in its place and it seems natural, even though it’s the
longest song we ever wrote. Classic records often have a hit song placed
high on the track listing and epic tracks like this one are then placed
at the end, as if to prove to the listener that the band is doing odd
stuff and to underline the “experimental” side of their music. We wanted
it to be different: the most “poppy” song is placed at the very end of
the record.
Our creative process is sometimes slow. Some albums take years, like
our first LP, and some go faster, like six months of recording for the
new one. We start with a backbone and add various layers and
instruments. Also the mixing is as important as the recording.WTTP: Angelo Badalamenti and David Lynch are obvious inspirations. Can you tell me about some other influences?DC4TET: Our musical influences are wide and various.
We share common tastes but most of all: we are friends, which is the
easiest for making things go further. We often says that Brittany, our
homeland, also inspired us quite a lot. It is supposed to be the most
rainy part of France and it is full of mysteries and gloomy characters.
That’s the Twin Peaks connection, we guess.WTTP: Which song from your entire repertoire has
absolutely the strongest Twin Peaks vibe, according to you? And which
song has the least?DC4TET: “Calbombe Camoufle Fretin” on “Quatorze
Pieces de Menace” has the strongest Twin Peaks vibe. And the least…
maybe “Elle Agréable Rendez-Vous de Chasse” on “Metamanoir”as we tried
to write a Morricone-style anthem for that one.WTTP: I really dig your album music, so now I’m curious about your live performance. What’s a live set like?DC4TET:We often change the line-up. The core trio: electronics, keys and two guitars often becomes a true
quartet —yes, we are not a quartet anymore— with a saxophone player.
And sometimes we have singers on stage. We rarely do the same songs with
the same line-up twice. It is mainly because our debut gigs were based
upon improvisation and because we wish to avoid routine. That also helps
creating a peculiar atmosphere around the band.
Can’t wait to see you live someday. Thanks for the interview, guys!

Flatform - Quantum + Trento Symphonia + Movements of an Impossible Time + A Place to Come + Can Not Be Anything Against the Wind + 57.600 Seconds of Invisible Night and Light + Sunday 6th April, 11:42 a.m. + About zero + With Nature There Are no Special Effects, Only Consequences (f)

Ben Rivers - The Sky Trembles and the Earth is Afraid and the Two Eyes are not Brothers (f)

Cheryl Frances-Hoad - Glory Tree (m)

Thomas Adès - The Twenty-Fifth Hour (m)

Daníel Bjarnason - Over Light Earth + Processions + Solaris (m)

Dobrinka Tabakova - String Paths (m)

Jacek Sienkiewicz - Nomatter (m)

Veli-Matti Puumala - Anna Liisa (m)

Bill Douglas - Trilogy: My Childhood, My Ain Folk, My Way Home (f)

DIALECT - Gowanus Drifts (m)

Robert Enrico - Au coeur de la vie (f)

Kara-lis Coverdale & LXV - Sirens (m)

Uljana Wolf - i mean i dislike that fate that i was made to where (b)

Mempo Giardinelli - Sultry Moon (b)

Jean-Marie Straub - Dialogue d'ombres (f)

Klaus Hoffer - Among the Bieresch (b)

Maxim Biller - U glavi Brune Schulza (b)

Svend Åge Madsen - Days with Diam + Virtue & Vice in the Middle Time (b)